Walk to raise funds for babies

-Event will help support the efforts of the March of Dimes.

-Event will help support the efforts of the March of Dimes.

February 21, 2008|GENE STOWE Tribune Correspondent

Organizers are preparing for this year's March for Babies, the former WalkAmerica, to raise money for research to improve the health of newborn babies -- partly with a growing online presence that allows out-of-state friends to contribute. A rally earlier this month drew some 50 team captains to launch the effort. "Every year with the special event that we do, we try to rally our teams together," says Cheryl Taylor, executive assistant for the Indiana chapter's northern division. "We tell them about the things that are going on this year, who the major sponsors are. "They pick up the team materials. We usually have from 500 to 600 people walk. They would represent 50 or 60 different teams. The teams get together through a corporation or business or a family." The name change resulted from marketing research that revealed even some participants weren't sure what WalkAmerica supported. The March of Dimes event started in the 1980s, and a host of other charities have started sponsoring walks since then. "It was one of the first walks that raised money this way," Taylor says. "One of the reasons the March of Dimes changed the name of this event is it better signifies and identifies us. A lot of people would hear it and not know who they were walking for. "We have a new logo, a new look, but still the same mission." The mission focuses on prevention of premature births but widens to include the general heath of newborns. "We also want to be an organization that educates women and men about all issues regarding having a family so that every baby is born healthy," she says. Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and Memorial Children's Hospital work closely with the organization. Honorary chairs this year are cousins Mike Leep Jr. and James Leep. The four counties in the division will have their walks April 19 in LaPorte, April 26 in St. Joseph (starting at Coveleski Stadium) and May 3 in Elkhart and Marshall counties. Seventy years ago, the March of Dimes started as a door-to-door march collecting actual dimes for research to fight polio, during the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt, a polio victim. Today, with more than 75 percent of the collection going to research for infants' health, donors need only an Internet connection to contribute dollars. "The needs are greater," Taylor says. "We're looking at ways we can better fund raise for the organization. The best way to fund raise is to talk to people you know. They can go online through my team and donate money through PayPal. "You can give you friends the Web site with your name. You can create your own page. It's been an outstanding way to increase our fundraising. It's just taking off." Between now and the event, organizers will reach out to more people for the effort. "We're still developing sponsors for the walk," she says, adding that participants are often motivated because they have had a child in the neonatal intensive care unit or know someone who has. "You put a face to it." *** For more information on the event, to register or to donate, go to www.marchforbabies.org or call (574) 289-9519 or (800) 905-9255.